Mission Hills of Hayward opened in 1999 as a public executive course on the edge of the East Bay flatlands, designed by David A. Rainville, ASGCA, with landscape architect Gary Bye, ASLA. The facility sits at 275 Industrial Parkway in Hayward and operates as a daily-fee course paired with a large practice complex.

On the course

The nine-hole routing measures 1,720 yards from the back tees to a par of 30, made up of three par 4s ranging from 271 to 359 yards and six par 3s ranging from 92 to 164 yards. No two holes play the same yardage, so a round typically asks for a different club on every tee. The terrain is gently undulating rather than hilly, and the layout drains well enough to stay playable through wet Bay Area winters. Geese are a regular presence around the 7th and 8th fairways.

Who it suits

The practice side of the operation is unusually substantial for a nine-hole course: a lighted double-deck range with 45 stalls, Top Tracer technology, two practice putting greens, and three chipping areas. Range hours stretch into the evening, which makes the property a common after-work stop for golfers across southern Alameda County.

The course suits beginners learning the game, juniors, and experienced players looking for a short, varied round or focused short-game work. Walkers and those squeezing a round into a lunch break will find the scale and pace manageable. Low-handicap players seeking a championship-length test will be better served by nearby full-length tracks, but as an executive layout with a full teaching and practice footprint, Mission Hills fills a specific and well-defined role in the East Bay golf landscape.

Architect: David A. Rainville · Opened: 1999